Welcome Back Ward! : The Dawg

Welcome Back Ward!

Filed Under General Sports | Posted on October 20, 2006

Not Bulldog news, but this is my blog. I can’t believe it has taken almost two years for Ward to get back in a car, but he has made the field in the #4 Lucas Oil Chevy this weekend at Martinsville.

Emotional, Ward Burton glad to be back in seat

After more than two years away, qualifies 35th at Martinsville

By David Newton, NASCAR.COM
October 20, 2006
05:14 PM EDT (21:14 GMT)

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — At the far end of this paperclip-shaped track at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains is a red tent covering a red and white No. 4 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.The hauler is outside the track several hundred yards away, leaving the crew with only a big blue tool box to prepare the car.

It has been 69 races since Ward Burton has been in a Nextel Cup race. Credit: Autostock

Inside the Numbers

Ward Burton’s career stats

Year St. W T5 T10 Rank

1994 26 0 1 2 35

1996 27 0 0 4 33

1998 33 0 1 5 16

2000 34 1 4 17 10

2002 36 2 3 8 25

2004 34 0 0 3 32

Note: 2002 Daytona 500 winner

NASCAR TodayWard Burton makes his return to Nextel Cup racing this weekend

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This is where the struggling teams, those not among the top 35 in owners’ points guaranteed a spot in Sunday’s Nextel Cup race, work feverishly while everybody else is under a covered garage with a fully equipped hauler a few steps away.

This is where Ward Burton has decided to make his comeback after nearly a two-year hiatus to work on his wildlife foundation and spend time with his wife and three children.

“I feel like I’m a little bit back to the beginning of my career,” said the native of nearby South Boston, Va., who qualified 35th.

Burton has been itching to get back in a stock car since testing at Daytona in January. There were times when he thought he was close to a deal to drive the No. 88 Ford for Robert Yates Racing next season.

He purchased a new fitted seat and helmet long before anything came along.

The deal to drive this weekend for Morgan-McClure happened so fast that Burton arrived at Martinsville wearing a white Lucas Oil shirt borrowed from team owner Larry McClure.

Both hope to run at least two more races, perhaps Atlanta next week and Phoenix the week after, and turn this into a full-time deal.